Before I can think of a response my phone buzzes on the table between us.

I sigh when I see the name flashing across the screen. “Ugh. It’s my little brother.”

Theo chuckles. “Oh, I need to hear more about this, I didn’t know you had a brother.”

I shake my head, grabbing my phone. “Trust me, you don’t. He’s probably calling to interrogate me about why I missed our weekly call or he’s checking back in to see if he can ‘take out’ my ex. It’s a weekly question.”

He leans back, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Oh, I definitely need to meet him.”

I groan dramatically. “That is never going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” I say, standing as I grab my bag. “You’d either team up against me, or he’d try to scare you off. Either way, I lose.”

Theo presses a hand to his chest before flexing his arms. “You wound me, Selene. Do I look that easy to scare?”

I smirk. “Guess we’ll never know.”

He huffs out a laugh as I step away from the booth. “You’re running away.”

“I’m walking away,” I correct, waving my phone. “Big difference. And besides, I know this is going to be a long call, so I might as well get comfortable somewhere else.”

He watches me for a moment before shaking his head with a grin. “Fine, go. But don’t think this conversation is over.”

I smile as I head toward the door. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

As I step outside and answer the call, my brother’s voice immediately comes through the speaker, full of suspicion and concern.

“Where the hell are you, Selene?”

I sigh, glancing back at the cafe. Theo is still watching me, his expression unreadable. I know this is a rhetorical question because we share our location.

“I’m getting in my car, about to head to my house from the cafe. Where the hell are you, Oreo?” I retort using his childhood nickname that I know annoys him.

“Your house.” He growls over the phone. Before I can even react he disconnects the call.

Fuck.

8

Selene

I stare at my phone, my pulse hammering in my ears. He hung up on me.

I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s Orion, but he hung up on me!

Shoving my phone into my pocket, I rush to my SUV, my mind racing as I yank open the door and slide inside. My hands tremble slightly as I fumble with my keys, shoving them into the ignition. The engine roars to life, and I barely take a breath before peeling out of the parking spot.